Valve for dispensing apparatus



May 21 1940- T. w. WINBERG 2,201,752

VALVE FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed April 22, lsa

ilu

Patented Vay 2l, 194

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 22,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to valve apparatus, and more particularly to a valve system for accurately controlling the flow of fluids.

It has been found in practice that it is desirable, in the measuring of fluids passing through pipe lines, to have incorporated in such pipe lines a valve or valve system having the capacity to control the flow of fluids accurately. If the pipe line carrying the iluid is large the flow of iluid therethrough may be more or less accurately controlled by having a relatively small valve associated therewith through which the fluid flows relatively slowly. This arrangement while accurately metering the fluid flow is undesirable because of the great time that must necessarily elapse if any great measure of fluid is tobe passed. A single large valve in the place of the relatively small valve just mentioned will take care of great quantities of fluid quickly but will be relatively inaccurate in its control of iluid because of inertia of the parts, the time necessary to effect complete closure of the valve from full open position being relatively great and for other obvious reasons.

It has further been proposed in the past that a system of valves could be utilized for more accurately controlling and measuring quantities of fluid passing through a pipe system comprising a large valve and a relatively small valve, the large valve being open for the great majority of the time until almost the desired quantity of uid is passed, the large valve then being closed and the fluid passed through the relatively small valve until the precise quantity is passed when the said small valve is also closed. Such a system incorporates the advantage involving the saving of time and simultaneously retains the feature involving accuracy of control whereby a relatively large quantity of fluid may be passed through a pipe system and may be accurately measured in a relatively short time. y

Prior to my improved valve arrangement, many crude forms of systems incorporating large and small valves have been suggested. 'I'hey have generally been clumsy, awkward to control, diflcult to adjust and though such prior systems were better than the single valve control they were not entirely satisfactory in that they were not suiciently automatic, easy to operate or compact in form.

It is an object of my invention to provide a multiple valve structure capable of simple adjustment and ease of operation.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a multiple valve system compact in :form

193s, serial No. 203,681

and capable of rapid, accurate control of fluids.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 isa schematic View, generally in elevation showing my improved valve structure in a system for weighing liquids;

Fig. 2 is a substantially full size showing, partly in elevation and partly in section of a preferred form of my novel valve structure;

Fig, 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of 'the valve structure showing both the large and small valve elements in raised position; and,

Fig. e is a View similar to Fig. 3 with the small valve element in open position and the large valve element in closed position.

Referring to the drawing, a storage tank I is arranged to supply liquid in metered quantities to a series of containers I I, one of which is illustrated as resting upon Toledo scale I2. A discharge pipe I3 leading from tank Ill has at its discharge end my novel valve structure V shown more in detail in Fig. 2. A compressed air source depicted in Fig. 1 as the tank I4 is arranged to supply motive medium through the pipe I5 to the branch pipes I6 and I1, thence depending upon the position of controlling valves I8 and I9 to the operating pistons 20 and 2l, which are directly connected to the small valve element 22 and the large valve element 23, respectively.

The compressed air tank I4 may be supplied with air at the proper pressure by any suitable source such as an intermittently operated air. compressor, not shown, which is arranged to operate when the pressure within the tank Ill is below a predetermined pressure and which ceases operation when the pressure is at or slightly above a predetermined pressure. The valves 22 and 23 which control the discharge of liquid from the tank Il) to the container II are in turn indirectly controlled by the reading on the Toledo scale I2. This indirect control is effected through the medium of a conventional photo-electric cell not shown, buthorizontally disposed with respect to a movable light source 25, which initiates a current when the source of light 25 is thrown upon it, which source of light is controlled by the position of the pointer 26 on the Toledo scale I2 or by the amount of weight registered thereon. This current initiated or generated from the photoelectric cell may be .amplied by suitable relays within the amplifier 21, which receives current from the source 28.v Solenoids, not shown, located within casings 29 and 30 receive current from the amplier 2l and are arranged to control the valves i8 and i9, respectively, which determine whether or not air pressure may be applied to pistons 2li and 2l, respectively, which are arranged to directly actuate valve elements 22 and 23, respectively. The piston 2l) is directly connected to the valve element 22 through the medium of a long, narrow stem 3| and the piston 2l is directly connected to the relatively large valve element 23 through the medium of a tubular stem 32.

The amount of opening of the valve element 22 may be adjusted by turning thumb screw 3S; turning in one direction permitting greater opening of the valve, and turning in the other direction diminishing the amount that the valve may open. Similarly, the thumb screw 34 adjustably controls the movement of the large Valve element 23. rEhe top portion of the thumb screw 34 is arranged to cooperate with the stop 35 in controlling the limit of movement of the valve stem 32 secured to valve element 23. Not only does the stop 35 perform the functions of limiting the movement of the valve element 23 but it serves as a holding means for the packing 3G about the stem 3l associated with piston 20 and small valve element 22.

The valve structure V is composed generally of three major sections 3l, 38, and 39, respectively, which are bolted together to form a unitary construction. Section S'I comprises an upper air cylinder liti in which the piston 20 operates under the influence of compressed air supplied by tank i4 and which is controlled by valve i8, as already described. In the center portion of the section 3l cut out parts ll permit adjustment of the thumb screw 34 and further permit access to the packing about the movable stems 3l and 32. In the lower portion of the section 31 is located a cylinder 42 in which the piston 2l operates under the influence of compressed air passed from tank lll through branch conduit il controlled by the valve i9. In the section 38 which is bolted to the lower portion of section Si, cut out portions 43 are formed which permit access to the packing glands i4 and 45 about the shaft 32. The section 33 is bolted to the lower portion of section 38 and contains the valve seat [i6 with which large valve element 23 cooperates.

Within the Valve element 23 and axially aligned therewith is the valve seat 4l with which the small valve element 22 is adapted to cooperate. Both the valve elements 22 and 23 are arranged to control the ow of liquid through the inlet Il@ and from the outlet 4S. When the Valve element 2?,- is in raised position, uid may flow from the inlet llt! through the openings 50 formed within the valve element 23 and out through the outlet fis. The openings 56 are formed within a tubular section 5i ci the valve element 23, which tubular section slidably coacts with the tubular portion 52, axially aligned within the lower part of the section 39.

The solenoids within casings 23 and 3U are arranged to draw the valves I8 and I9, respectively, downwardly when said solenoids are energized as already described. With said valves l; and le in their lower-most positions, their upper portions are below the passages 53 and 54, respectively, whereby air on the opposite side of the pistons 25 and 2l, respectively, from that side against which compressed air is permitted to act, may be released. When the solenoids within the casings 2Q and 39 cease their action upon the valves i3 and i9, the springs 55 and 56 force the valves I8 and I9 bodily to their uppermost positions and air on the lower sidesy of pistons 2U and Zi, respectively, opposite from that side against which compressed air is permitted to act, may be released or exhausted through parts 57 and 53, respectively, and out through openings 59 and 60.

Under normal operating conditions, the container H being empty at the beginning of the cycle of operation of the valve V the pointer 26 on the Toledo scale I2 will be in such a position in relation to the photo-electric cell 24 and associated apparatus that both solenoids within the casings 29 and 3B will be actuated whereby valves i8 and I9 will be pulled down to their lower-most positions and compressed air applied to the bottom sides of the pistons 20 and 2| whereby both valve elements 22 and 23 may be raised simultaneously or otherwise into the positions shown in Fig. 3, permitting liquid to flow at a relatively rapid rate from storage tank I through pipe i3, through valve inlet 48 and valve discharge portion or dispensing nozzle 49 into the container ll. The adjustable stop 34 plays an important part under such conditions of operation to limit the lift of the main valve 23 so that the maximum rlow of fluid may be maintained through the dispensing nozzle 49 without splashing or foaming such as would require constant watch or control of the valve means. When the pointer 26 on the Toledo scale l2 reaches a predetermined point close to the absolute cut off point, the photo-electric cell 24 will be actuated in a manner to eiTect cessation of actuation oi the solenoid within casing 30, whereby the valve I9 will be released under the action of the spring 56 from its upper position whereby compressed air may be permitted to act on the upper side or the piston 2| lowering and closing the valve element 23 to the position shown in Fig. 4. Liquid from storage tank IS will then pass to container ll at a relatively slow rate for the short period between the time of cessation of actuation of the solenoid within casing 3l] and the time corresponding to the iilling of the container l l to the desired degree, at which time the pointer 26 on the Toledo scale l2 will then be in such position that the photo-electric cell 24 and its associated elements will cause cessation of actuation of the solenoid within casing 29, whereby the valve i8 will be forced to its upper-most position by spring 55 permitting compressed air to pass through port 53 and act upon the upper side of the piston 20, lowering and closing the valve element 22 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, whereby the container ll is rapidly and accurately filled to the desired degree automatically.

Under normal conditions of operation as recited, the parts of the valve apparatus are so adjusted to the quantities to be measured, the Toledo scale, and the other associated elements that smooth operation is assured without attention. However, under varying conditions of operation the same smoothness of operation may be insured while retaining the accuracy of measurement of the liquid passing through the valve with my construction by making the proper adjustment through the medium of thumb screws 33 and 34, which adjustment may then remain constant under the conditions for which the adjustment was made. Under more severe conditions, under heavy pressures, loads, liquids of high specic gravity being measured, where preciseness of operation are essential for accuracy, the photo-electric cell 24 and the pointer 28 may be so associated with each other that at the beginning of a cycle of operation, at which time the container Il is empty, thevalve element 22 may 'be arranged to be operated first whereby pressure upon the valve element 23 is relieved to a considerable extent and then upon the pointer reading a certain relatively small but definite quantity more than that corresponding to the empty container I i, the photoelectric cell 24 may be actuated to transmit energy to the solenoid within the casing 3B whereby the valve element 23 will be open. From then on the operation may be similar to that already described under normal conditions.

The adjusting screw 33 serves a dual function, the first has already been described as limiting the amount of opening of the small valve element 22. The second function of the screw 33 involves the complete shutting down of the entire valve structure when the screw is turned to engage the top of the piston 211, and the valve element 22 is on its seat 41 within valve element 23 and valve element 23 is on its seat 46.

From the above it will be clear that applicant has devised a simple, compact, unitary valve construction which is capable of rapid and accurate operation under varying load and under varying uid to be measured characteristic conditions.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in this device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefor the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawing and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve structure comp-rising a relatively large valve element comprising a relatively small valve seat. a relatively small valve element associated with said seat, motive means associated with each of said valve elements comprising a pistn and fluid pressure means, means for controlling said uid pressure means in a manner whereby closure of said relatively large valve element is eiected first and closure of said relatively small valve element is effected second.

2. The structure recited in claim l, and means for adjusting the'amount of opening for one of said Valves,

3. The structure recited in claim 1, and means for controlling the amount of opening of each of said valves.

4. A valve structure comprising a valve seat, a valve element associated with said seat, means for eiecting movement of said valve element, means for limiting the movement of said valve element comprising an adjustment screw, a second valve element, a stem associated with said second valve element, piston and cylinder means for effecting movement of said second valve eleinent, a packing gland associated with said piston and cylinder means, a packing screw associated with said packing gland, said adjustment screw and said packing screw being so associated with each other whereby said packing screw acts-as a stop, limiting the movement of said iirst valve element in accordance with the position of said adjustment screw.

5. A dispensing nozzle having a discharge orifice therein, a pair of concentrically mounted valves cooperating with said orifice, the outer of said pair of valves being of materially greater diameter than the inner and a pair of concentrically mounted fluid operated pistons each having means operatively connected to one of said valves, said last named means comprising a pair of valve stems telescopically associated with each other, iiuid pressure means associated with both sides of each piston, and means controlling the fluid pressure means of each piston in a manner to eiect closure of the outer large valve first and the inner small valve second.

6. A dispensing device having a discharge orice therein, an cuter large diameter valve and an inner small diameter valve cooperating with said orifice, a pair .of i'uid operated pistons each having means operatively connected to one of said valves, said last named means comprising a pair of valve stems telescopically associated with each other, two fluid pressure operated means one associated with each of said pistons for positive operation thereof in both directions, and means controlling veach of said uid pressure means to eiect closure of the outer large diameter valve first and the inner small diameter valve second.

TRAVIS W. WINBERG. 

